The Idea: Redesigning Oahu
The Goal: Address Major Areas of Interest Including:
Traffic
Affordable Housing
Education
Senior Assisted Living
New Stadium
University of Hawaii
City & County Recreational Facilities
Kapiolani Corridor
An Identity for Kapolei
It's a creative solution with immediate impact and long term
benefits...
It's an idea...in my opinion a solution..let's discuss it here...what do you think?
The NEW University of Hawaii
The proposal begins with a bold announcement to build a sprawling new state-of-the art University of Hawaii main campus in Kapolei on the approximately 500 acres of land already dedicated to the University of Hawaii.
This new campus will include: significant on-campus housing, on-campus stadium, on-campus arena. Powered by state-of-the-art technology it will become an economic driver for Hawaii, specifically West Oahu.
For what is believed to be the first time, a major University will be re-built from the ground up capitalizing on our resources to design an institution that is prepared to lead the way in global education.
An Identity for Kapolei..
no longer just a "2nd city"
*As home to the new University of Hawaii and its nearly 20,000 students, Kapolei will become Oahu’s “college town.”
*Small businesses will thrive in the college town environment.
*With a major academic institution as its “pulse” West Oahu will have an identity and an energy that accompanies a great “college town.”
The Hidden Value of A New Campus
The Collegiate "Look & Feel"
By re-designing the University of Hawaii and having Kapolei embrace a “college town” identity there are many long range benefits to the economics of the University including:
–Increased alumni giving: As I understand it, one of the challenges UH is currently experiencing is a low alumni giving rate (14%.) It is our feeling that the new integrated campus and town will result in a significantly larger percentage of students living on or nearby campus with a majority of their activities including; social (fraternity & sorority - the new UH should have a significant Greek system,) sports & recreation, work, etc. taking place on or nearby campus.
The long term result is a greater affinity to the university – “thanks for the memories” attitude – that will result in a greater alumni giving ratio.
–Athletic attendance: It is my feeling that this new campus environment will certainly result in larger and more consistent game attendance. Not only greater student participation, but it is our belief that faculty (living on or near campus in Kapolei) aswell as the West Oahu population as a whole (with “town pride’”) will show up to support their home team.
–Increased Interest From Out of State Students: Rebuilding a major university will certainly stimulate increased interest from out of state students. A larger number of out of state students not only generates increased tuition revenue, but also those students don’t have any existing social groups/networks (as the in-state students do) and therefore will need to go out and “get active” in the University as it will become their “second home.” It is this bonding between students from Hawaii and around the country that creates that special surreal bubble that college students live in for their time on campus. This is where a lifetime of memories are created. A new campus will increase the opportunities for these memories. The benefits for the University of Hawaii will last long past the students’ time at the school.
Manoa: A Place For Our Kapuna
With the University of Hawaii relocated to Kapolei, this idea suggests that the state sell the UH Upper Campus land and facilities to a private developer for the specific purpose of turning the campus into
Oahu’s primary senior
assisted living community.
This concept is ideal for the personality of Manoa and nearby Moiliili.
The existing campus infrastructure is suited for a self contained senior living facility complete with; dining facilities, dorms (converted to apartments,) library,cultural and arts, administrative buildings, etc.
My preliminary estimates suggest that the State could receive in excess of $100million for the land and facilities.
With our aging population the timing for this concept is ideal.
Honolulu Regional Park -
Formerly UH Lower Campus
That’s right, this proposal suggests that the State turn over the existing athletic and recreation facilities at UH Manoa’s Lower Campus to the City and County of Honolulu to create the Honolulu Regional Park.
*10,000 seat arena
*3,000+ seat baseball stadium
*tennis courts
*playing fields
*football field with bleacher seating for 3,000+
*softball stadium
*ample parking
With the construction of a new arena in Kapolei on the New UH campus, this existing arena – Stan Sheriff Center, could be renamed the Blaisdell Center if the City felt it was appropriate…or we could sell the naming rights to help build an endowment to maintain and upgrade the facility…maybe some of the proceeds from the naming rights each year can be used as a subsidy to underwrite annual events to upgrade the quality of the events & shows we enjoy each year…
Same for the baseball and softball stadiums, tennis courts, gyms, track, etc.
The new Honolulu Regional Park will relieve the demands currently being shouldered by Kapiolani Park, Ala Moana Park, etc.
At the same time with the new Honolulu Regional Park Oahu will finally have many of the facilities our community needs to host major concerts, performances, sporting events, sports teams, etc. ... with ample parking.
Coupled with the nearby (on current Upper Campus) planned Senior Living Facility, the Honolulu Regional Park will provide a social and recreation center for the seniors “living on-campus.”
Kapiolani/Ward Corridor -
With the City and County receiving the UH Manoa Lower Campus facilities as the new Honolulu Regional Park, the City can now sell the Blaisdell Arena, Concert Hall and Exhibition Center block to a private developer.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the City would generate in excess of $150 million from this sale. We would suggest that a portion of these proceeds go to funding the on-going maintenance of the Honolulu Regional Park.
This step will allow the Kapiolani/Ward Corridor to continue its transformation into the heart of our waterfront retail and high-rise residential center. A corridor that connects Downtown Honolulu to Waikiki
Aloha Stadium - affordable housing!?..it’s the best location
With the construction of new on-campus stadium at the UH in Kapolei, there will no longer be a need for the current Aloha Stadium.
In its place we suggest that the State sell the land to a developer to construct much needed affordable housing and supporting commercial services. This could be a partnership with the Navy to support Pearl Harbor.
The stadium location is ideally situated for affordable housing, as it receives all three major highways, and is nearly equi-distant from downtown Honolulu and Kapolei.
This location is also well suited for high-rise buildings that would allow us to maximize the density of the location providing all of the affordable housing that the island needs.
My preliminary estimates suggest that this location could be sold by the State for more than $100 million.
The Economics
The first major component of this plan is the re-design and development of the University of Hawaii in Kapolei, complete with an on-campus stadium and arena.
We can ballpark this cost at $2 billion.
–$350 million for the new on campus football stadium
–$250 million for the new on campus arena
–$1.4 billion for the remainder of the campus
Financing
As we see it, the financing could work as follows:
–$100 million from the sale of the land and facilities at UH Manoa Upper Campus.
–$100 million(+) from the sale of Aloha Stadium land.
–$100 million contributed by the City from the sale of the Blaisdell block. City to retain $50 million to cover future maintenance and operating expenses for the new Honolulu Regional Park.
-I believe that by working with companies like the Stadium Capital Finance Group, similar to University of California- Berkley, we can find a way to build the new football stadium debt free through multi-year ticket commitments, which would essentially cover the $350mm construction expense.
In this scenario the construction costs associated with the stadium and arena are addressed, the balance of approximately $1.35 billion could be capitalized with a government bond.
–State could float a bond for the remaining amount. The bond interest could be financed by the approved increase in the GE Tax (from 4% to 4.5%). As I understand it, this will generate $150 million per year. Understanding that this tax increase was to cover costs associated with a transportation and traffic solution, I believe that this Oahu re-design will address this issue head on.
Traffic Remediation –
School’s Out….in Kapolei
I believe that by re-building the new University of Hawaii Campus in Kapolei, not only will we have a state-of-the-art academic institution but we will be able to address on-going traffic issues.
Simply removing the daily arrival of an estimated 20,000 people to urban Honolulu and relocating them to Kapolei will make a meaningful and immediate impact on traffic…think about what traffic is like in the downtown area when UH is out or on break…
–Moving the stadium on-campus away from urban Honolulu. Students and neighboring fans will now walk to the games.
- The new stadium will be designed with adequate parking to handle sell out crowds - no more parking problems when attending the games in the Aiea area.
–Moving the Stan Sheriff Center away from urban Honolulu will alleviate the periodic traffic problems caused by current on-campus events.
-The development of Kapolei into a college town will not only stimulate significant new (small) business and associated jobs in West Oahu, but as a bi-product will positively effect traffic into downtown Honolulu.
Additional Traffic Information:
Implementing this plan would NOT cause any major traffic problems in urban Honolulu - even temporarily. So no inconvenience to the general population during the transformation.
Additionally, this plan also addresses the current parking shortages experienced at current Blaisdell Center events, which creates a major bottleneck on Ward, Kapiolani and King. The new Honolulu Regional Park would have more than enough parking for scheduled events.
New Tax Revenues:
Once the land at UH Upper Campus, Aloha Stadium, and Blaisdell Center block are sold and redeveloped these properties will generate new reoccurring tax revenues for the State.
Timetable:
I believe that the new University of Hawaii can be completely built in 5 years….if we empower our government leaders to do so…
As I understand it the land is already available in Kapolei and dedicated for the construction of a UH campus
Based on my view from the “30,000 foot level” the financing seems accessible in a short time frame. I believe that our local bank leadership would work very diligently in partnership with government leaders to see this through..if empowered by us to do so..
Design and approvals should take 2 years
Construction should take 3 years
Once the new University is built, the balance of the plan rolls into action
New Oahu
A new look for Oahu can be completed in the next 10 years. Look what we have to look forward to…
This is simply my idea. An idea that I first wrote up in 2005…I shared it at that time with a select few people who I believed would give me some candid feedback. An idea which when shared over lunch, the dinner table, with friends, family, business leaders … always seems to be met with a positive response… followed shortly by the response…”it will never happen”…It’s 6 years later and I believe it is still an idea with great merits. All I can think is if it is the best plan…then can’t we work together to make it happen. I don’t claim to be an expert in these areas…I simply had the idea…I welcome your thoughts, opinions, and expertise. If you like the idea then please talk with others about it, use your resources to become a part of a solution.
Aloha,
CD/
